National Do Not Call registry set to expire - users must sign up again

Monday

Sep 24, 2007 at 12:01 AMSep 24, 2007 at 3:15 AM

Thousands who rushed to sign up for the national Do Not Call registry, which restricted telemarketers, could be dropped from the list next summer if they don't sign up again.

Peter Reuell

Come this time next year, a quiet evening in could be a thing of the past for some folks.

That's because thousands who rushed to sign up for the national Do Not Call registry, which restricted telemarketers, could be dropped from the list next summer if they don't sign up again.

While the Federal Trade Commission, the agency which oversees the list, says it plans to launch an educational campaign next spring to remind people to re-register, some members of Congress are working to change the law to eliminate the need.

Without the five-year limit for numbers to stay on the list, FTC officials said, there would be virtually no way to ensure the list is up to date.

``What happens is if you move or if you change your phone number, if your old phone number is not picked up by someone else, that just stays on the registry,'' FTC spokesman Mitch Katz said. ``One way to get it off the registry is to have those numbers drop off every five years.''

For consumers who want to stay on the list, though, the process is easy.

Just as they did when they first signed onto the list, Katz said, people can visit the FTC's Web site and enter their phone numbers, which will then be protected for another five years.

And to make sure people know about the five-year expiration, he said, the agency plans a publicity campaign for next year.

``We did a great job of helping people to know to register in the first place, and we're going to do an equally great job helping them to re-register,'' Katz said.

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., says people should not be forced to re-register to keep telemarketers at bay. Doyle introduced legislation this week to make registrations permanent.

``When someone takes the time and effort to say `I don't want these kinds of calls coming into my house,' they shouldn't have to keep a calendar to find out when they have to re-up to keep this nuisance from happening,'' Doyle said.

The bill is already garnering support from at least one Bay State legislator.

``As the primary House author of the original Do Not Call law, I am concerned that many of the people who signed up for the list when it was first created are not aware they need to renew their participation every five years in order to keep their phone numbers off limits,'' Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said in a statement.

``I plan to follow this situation closely, and, if the plan to alert consumers is inadequate, it's possible Congress may need to take action.'' The Massachusetts Do Not Call registry works in much the same way the national list does, but doesn't include any expiration dates, officials said.

Industry groups like the American Teleservices Association, however, claim such laws are simply unnecessary.

``My difficulty is that we have the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission, who are charged to think about these issues seriously and diligently,'' said Tim Searcy, chief executive of the American Teleservices Association.

Before the Do Not Call law was passed, he said, both agencies considered the impact on both consumers and business.

``They're in the best position to make policy,'' he said. ``I don't see a role for Congress in this. We think it's smarter for the FTC and the FCC to do their job, and, candidly, for Congress to stay out of the issue.''